chinese and menu

been so busy lately (maybe its all in my mind that im busy? haha), but seriously, the chinese class has been taking an unbelievably huge chunk of my time. the classes are only for four hours, yes, but we also have exams almost everyday. so i have to study, and sometimes i find myself thinking "what did i ever get myself into".

but im not complaining (maybe a bit?). i really want to learn, and right now my admiration for those who speak the language is growing by the minute (seriously). i mean, they have different meanings for every word for crying out loud--and it all depends on the tone on each word. so if you say in chinese "i look like my mom" but will say it with the wrong tone, you might end up saying "i look like my horse". embarrasing right? *sigh*

everyday i find myself missing posting on this blog, and thank god i finally have the time to do it right now after sleeping for almost 24hours (im exhausted, what can i say?).

maybe i'll finally be able to order food in chinese, huh? (and the waiter will then give me that "she's crazy" look because, well, im in the Philippines and im mumbling gibberish--to him atleast. haha)

life's a beach

i was browsing through my friend's facebook photos and i stumbled on pictures of us "de-stressing" from work. one of those pics is the one above.

food (lots of it!), beer (i dont drink, its for their consumption), more food (wait, did i mention it earlier?), good company, cameras, high spirits and the whole day.

we went to the beach (our country is literally "dotted" with beaches). the sun is up, not so many people so we could frolick as much as we like without bumping into anyone, and the food--dont even get me started on the food. :)

the point is, the pics really got me all nostalgic and i really miss these guys. ever since i quit my job to concentrate on my "bigger aspirations" in life, we havent really seen each other as often as we would have wanted to.

which reminds me to remind myself (ms. short trem memory) tomorrow to text them so we could make another rendezvous to the beach again.

ps: im the one with the gray tank and shades on, beside me the guy without any shirt on is my someone, beside him is ploning, then diesah, lady, eric and sally. :)

bundle of joy

so as i mentioned in my last post, im expecting a niece to make its first appearance in this earth. i had to wait for a couple more days before she finally popped out. but the she is soooo worth the wait (arent all babies are?).

presenting to you all. (drumroll 5mins long). Queenie Marie! (clap clap clap..whistle whistle)

i cant help it, i put 5 pictures here. she's so cute and adorable and soft and hairy (in a good kind of hairy) and beautiful and tiny and quirky (those faces she makes when shes asleep are to die for to watch!) and cute (wait, i said it before, right?).

im going gaga over this baby. i havent done much these past days to tell you the truth, other than looking at her sleep.

i havent studied, or been to my usual haunts with my someone. i want to go home early so i can see Queenie.

i cant wait to have my own baby too. but that would be years from now. right now, im happy sharing the title of "mother" (the original being my cousin, of course) to Queenie.

im going to keep yakkiing about her for now, so you can all ogle at the cuteness that is Queenie. :)

the week in a nutshell

so many things has happened this week. and i dont know where to start putting down into words all the activities i did and what went by in this tiny corner of mine (weee!)

so in a nutshell, these are some of what i've been up to the past days:

:: experienced the traditional Thai massage for the first time ever! (do the one without oil, feels so good, i slept for about 12hours straight as soon as i got home)

:: enrolled in a Mandarin Chinese Language Course (been wanting to study the language for like, the longest time, and finally--i did it!)

:: was awake for 24 hours straight, and spent the whole day (and night) in good company, and had a few hours to enjoy the solitude and the sound of the waves while watching the stars and daydreaming (or is it nightdreaming?)

:: bought my first ever flat closed shoes (those ballerina flats-type) for my chinese class. unfortunately there is such a thing as dress code, so we have to wear closed shoes (huhu!)

:: got blisters because of the shoes (my feet has been shoe-free for almost four years now, that's why!)

:: got myself a pedi and some hot pink toes! yipee!!

:: I am tapping my inner geek and having so much fun rediscovering that side of me (ha!)

:: spent LOTS of quality time with my someone (lots and lots of it!)

:: going on foodtrips!

:: FINALLY. FINALLY ate at that asian fusion eatery i was craving for since last last week

:: bought two white tees that surprisingly fit me very well (as if its tailor-made for me!)--and the best part? got it on sale :)

:: made lots of new friends (and classmates!)

:: is inspired by humble, hardowrking people (schoolmates--they are in a welding class), and vowed to always do 200% in everything i do

:: finally, I had the time to just spend the whole day at home, alone, just lying in bed and doing absolutely nothing (i miss this!)

:: I am currently fidgeting in my seat right now because i would be welcoming a new niece who is expected to make its debut in this world from her mom's tummy as we "speak" (super blessing!)

:: I am finally able to surface and make this post (haha!)

have a good day/noon/afternoon/evening everyone! mmwah! :)

exam exam exam..

i hate exams. i really really do. especially the night before that. i get all restless, and anxious, and about to throw up, or constantly go the restroom to pee, or panic, or cram, or mumble unintelligible nonsense to myself, or drive my mama crazy with my pestering of "what ifs".

but rohini? oh no. the night before the D-Day, the exam (which is tomorrow), she has time to blog. yes that's right. instead of doing and feeling all weird and anxious for tomorrow, she keeps her cool and (yep, you guessed it) blogs.

kudos to her. i never could do that. i would be in the mushiest state of mush just thinking about that test.

so lets all wish rohini all the luck in the world, universe, galaxy and the worldwideweb, for her exam tomorrow.

and more importantly, so she can continue on blogging her lengthy posts, which i just love to bits.

wish you all the best rohini! :)

one liter of tears

ok, so this is soo totally not my picture--i mean, i didnt take this pic. but i dont have any photo of the lead on the japanese dorama one liter of tears, so i have to get from google.

i am a huge fan of asian drama (soap opera) and the music. japanese, korean, taiwanese, chinese. im so hooked on those. let me just do a quick rundown of why asian dramas are much much better than anywhere else:

:: the actors are so good-looking (girls or boys. no, really), and their skin, dont even get me started on that!

:: the plot and the story are unique, and its different because of the culture in each country making the drama.

:: more feelings than talk. the actors are just so good at that, with minimal lines, they can deliver the emotion they want to get across to their viewers

:: and when they do talk, they perfectly make sense, and there are just a lot of quotable lines.

:: when they make jokes, its really really funny.

:: the OST

:: the gestures (oh yes, piggyback--its in like, a lot of asian dramas)

one of the best dramas that i've seen? One Liter of Tears. its a japanese dorama. it is based on a true story. based on the diary of a girl suffering from an incurable disease.

its about a girl who was diagnosed with Spinocerebellar Degenerative Disease at 15, but was able to continue her life until her death at the age of 25.

the lead, erika sawajiri (very pretty, one of the prettiest ive seen!), brings the character to life (this is a real tear-jerker, my eyes were swollen red after every episide, but so worth it!), and the dorama describes in great detail the hardships that the family went through, as well as the lead's personal struggles. it tackles the cruel side of humanity, the discrimination. but most of all, it shows love, compassion and how the family triumphed over that hurdle.

its a very short dorama. it only has about 11 episodes, and i watched it all in youtube, and i watched it again in our local channel and i never missed an episode (i would even cut my nights out short just so i can watch, yes i am that obsessed!)

another thing that has me hooked on this dorama? the songs. i dont know nihonggo, i dont know what the song means. but the melody--it has that nostalgic feel to it, and everytime i hear the song, it reminds me all over again of the dorama. the title is konayuki and the artist is remioromen.

i can go on and on about this dorama, but you just have to see it do you'll know firsthand on what im getting at here. the videos in youtube, they have english subs so it works just fine.

i'll be watching it again so thats all it is for now.

music relaxes the soul

i went to the mall yesterday (one of the two biggest in Cebu) with my someone, and walked the whole perimeter of the area (i mean, what else to do while in there? and its so hot outside!).

anyway, not much really went on inside, until around 7pm. you see, the mall has a huge "entertainment area"--for events and all that. and yesterday, it has been turned into a mini concert FOR FREE! who are we to say no to freebies, right? :)

a local band was playing (i think they're called Louie something, not sure), but what really got me hooked was their take on the songs. all four members (3guys, 1girl) did turns singing, and all of them played various instruments, and they all sang well. i stayed until 9pm (my someone had to go home early). they're so good! they even did their own version of Jason Mraz's Im Yours which is very very nice. they also did some OPM (original pinoy music), and everyone just loved it. even the koreans who watched, shouted "more", though i doubt if they understood the song at all. hehe.

the place was packed--no chairs for everyone, so it was SRO (standing Room Only), though i can hardly call it Room since its an open area. haha.

so relaxing, just sitting there and taking in the sights and all the people and the band and the songs. kind of makes me want to form my own band (i soo want to do that, but for the sake of mankind, i'll just pass).

ps: the pic i used here, its of the same mall, but not yesterday. me, my someone and friends goofing around.

address: heaven

manoy,

by now you are probably someplace warm and fuzzy and comfy and happy. you are probably laughing at us right now because we still struggle through everyday while you sit and relax the whole day, endlessly.

you deserve all that. and you know what? i know a lot of people are jealous of you.

why?

because you found one great love here on earth. and while it was so drastically cut short, still you had it, experienced it--and that is way more than most people would have found here on this earth.

some people go through all the years of their lives looking for that ONE thing. and while most of them get to live a ripe, old age, sadly they never found it.

you are lucky, manoy.

i know there will be one more angel who will continuously watch over us, but dont worry--we are made tough, right?

you will be missed.

goodbye.

grins and greens

despite the bad, gloomy cloud hanging over me today, i'm grinning from ear to ear. if my mouth can just hyperextend it would as big as the one in the pic (one of my officemates decided to joke around with that pillow).

why?

well..

:: i had two followers. hehe. oh heaven. julochka (i mean, seriously, she finds time to read this insignificant blog of mine when she already has her hands full of the daily comments from her admirers and followers worldwide--me included!), and rohini prasanth (who said she's a newbie but just look at her post--seems as if she's been doing this for a long time--she's that good!). i feel like doing a little dance, im so happy. hehe.

:: i went out and and the weather, sensing my distress, made me smile, as im seeing fluffy clouds and blue sky the whole day.

:: clearing my mind and was able to think properly, and i decided that i can certainly help manoy out by praying for him. (thanks rohini for reinforcing that point. mwah!)

:: i was able to spend the day with my #1 stress reliever--my someone. :)

:: i pigged out on chinese food--for free!

:: it's my other cousin's BURPdey today (she's 20!) and i bought her a slice of cake (cant afford the whole thing)--with a tall candle of course--to celebrate this day

:: the internet connection came back after i had my panic mode (yippee!)

:: my family and relatives and loved ones all went home to their homes safe and sound after a day's work.

>>>no matter how bad you think your day went, when you come to think about it, there's still so much to be thankful for<<<

love life, love blog

things i would really really love to do if given the chance:

:: buy everything i want at Etsy without feeling guilty afterwards so i can make good stuff and get my so-called "creative juices" working

:: go to a park and spread a blanket, lie down and read a good book with the sun on my skin and blue sky when i look above

:: indulge myself on my love for food and go for an all-out food trip

:: have a job that makes me want to whistle everytime i go for work

:: bury my toes in the warm sand and just play with the waves till i get red and sunburned and hungry and thirsty

:: just being outside for as long as i want on a beautiful, cloudless day with a cool drink in hand

:: have my own little corner to curl up on when its raining and i dont wanna go outside

:: take lots and lots of pictures

:: have my own garden with lots of flowers

:: be a 10-year old again--no worries, all play!

:: be with my someone always..

:: explore--the world is huge and its waiting for me!

(and of course, bring my loved ones with me when i explore the world)

halo-halo

ah. halo-halo. who can resist them?

true, they don't look that spectacular, but ever heard of the phrase "don't judge the book by it's cover?"

this particular dessert (or merienda as we so fondly call it) tastes sooo good, a lot of tourists would actually look for this the minute the set foot on the Philippine soil (i'm not kidding here). it just tastes so good.

it's called halo-halo. simply because its a mix of everything good and delish. there's lots of crushed ice, milk, nangka (jackfruit), kaong, leche flan, sweetened beans, banana, grated coconut, cereals, and a huge helping of icecream to top it off.

a lot of restaurants offer this "cooler" on their menus, but the best halo-halo ever? it's from Coolsavers )yep, the one in the pic). it's a small family-owned business located near my house (aroung 10mins drive), and mind you, a lot of people, even those from the far north, would travel all the way south just to eat their halo-halo--its that good.

their secret? its in the ice. yes, they don't just use any regular crushed ice. while most restaurants put milk on top of the crushed ice, Coolsavers mix something with their ice to make it creamy and smooth. unfortunately i never did find out what it is though. the waitresses there said its a trade secret.

milk perhaps? maybe. i dunno. whatever it is though. it makes me go back for another order. want to try one today?

icecream and feelings

yesterday is fiesta day (well, in my someone's place anyway), so i went to his house just in time for the fiesta dinner to start (another excuse for us Filipinos to pig out on all the sinfully good and greasy stuff that we usually have during such events).

it is always fun celebrating fiesta in their place. they have such extended and close-knit family, and it doesn't hurt that they all like me too (haha!).

the party is already in full swing, people are already eating, grease on their plates, bottles of empty and half-full softdrinks everywhere, conversation, and of course, who would forget the videoke? no, it should always be there.

i went in and saw him stuffing his face with food. oh my god he didn't even wait for me so we can eat together. oh well, doesn't really matter that much anyway. his mom gave me a plate and fussed over me and i went to the buffet table to get a healthy helping of food, and sat down in a corner to eat to my heart's content.

after eating there was a lot of good conversation, and just breathing in the festive atmosphere (sorry forgot to take pictures). and after an hour or so we left to go to another house--oh yes, only in the Philippines, during fiesta, you can basically go to every house in the area and just eat, everyone is welcome.

so off we went to his cousin's house which is not that far from their's. well, actually its sort of a compound where almost all their clan lives. its got a huge space where you can basically just do anything (in their case, they spend countless hours talking and getting drunk) there.

but for the fiesta, that huge space has been converted to a crude dancefloor, complete with a live band. oh it was very very nice and very festive indeed.

the music lasted until morning, and everyone had a great time. we went home ahead though, partly because i can barely open my eyes (so sleepy!), and he wants to take me home so i can rest.

ok, so he lives north, and i live way down south. it's like, an hour's travel from his place to mine. but it was i think around 4am already so no traffic, we made it in good time.

we made a stop at a convenience store because all of a sudden he's craving for icecream. so he went in to buy some (not the one on the pic though) and we--well, rather he--ate in the car.

as he enjoyed his icecream and me just looking at him. i had an epiphany.

no doubt, i love this guy so much. it has always been a pleasure to just look at him and think how did i get so lucky to have this guy by my side. yes he looks good, smells good,very family-oriented..well, i'll just write another post about him then, as i would be deviating from the point that i'm so determined to write here (am i even succeeding on nailing that point?)

so anyway, he was eating icecream and i'm eating him--with my eyes (haha!) and i thought about sobrina tung (i love her blog!), and the fact the she is doing everything she can for alan. and i know i'll do the same and more for this guy eating icecream in the driver's seat and oblivious to what's running in my mind right that instant.

just being with him makes my day complete (i know, enough with the mushiness!) and sometimes i just feel sooo into him that it makes me wanna cry (does anybody feel that sometimes?)

yes, talking to him, just being with him, makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time. haha, you might think i belong to the loony bin. but, whatever. hehe.

so yes, i was thinking of all those in the 5 minutes that it took him to polish off the icecream. and i decided to just not tell him about it. i know it would only confuse him, and he might decide to just hand me over to those people so skilled at putting straijackets to people. haha.

let him just find out about it when he reads this.

taytayan nga wala'y sumpay

I just love this picture taken during one of our out-of-town misadventures about a year ago..The place seems so..what would be the right word for it?..hmmm..melancholy..sad..kind of nostalgic even..

The structure seems so frail- made of bamboo and tied together with rope..It juts out into the lake and stops right in the middle, the bridge not reaching the other end..

The lake..it represents life in general..we could get lost in the vastness of it..the water, its current always, always unpredictable..it could either tug us to where we want to go, or drag us into a difficult place..one moment the water is calm, and we could swim in it as we please, or it could be the opposite, and you have to get away and wait for it to calm down before you wade back..

The bridge..it represents our life individually..of how frail it is, that at any moment it might break down and be lost amidst the current..made of two equally fragile things- the bamboo and rope..

The bamboo, our feelings, emotions..dreams, passion..memories

The rope..our sanity that binds everything and dictates what is morally sound and what is considered taboo by society..

I consider myself the bridge..though I have already lived in this earth for about a quarter of a century already (not that old still), I feel that I havent really done something concrete..something impossible..something magical..something very, very, very extraordinary..something superbly crazy..and like the bridge, it still needs to be worked on and constructed and finished so it would reach the other end..full circle as they would say..

Until that day comes, I'll carry on and add bamboo, and tie it with sturdy ropes..As long as the bridge is still unfinished, I would have to continue with life and be brave enough to do crazy, impossible, wonderful, extraordinary, magical memories..

dreamer's manifesto

I, MICHELLE MARIE DIZON, choose to live a life of adventure, excitement, service, joy, spontaneity and love.

I choose to love. And as I love I live, as I live I give, as I give I serve, as I serve I step closer to the reality of my dreams.

I will dream. I will dream of big and amazing and spectacular and awesome dreams. I will live my dreams and not compromise for the sake of security or safety or comfort. I will jump out of my comfort-zone and embrace change.

Change, whom I fear. Change, whom I dread. I will seek to live beyond what I can, believing that the God whom I trust is much, much bigger and greater than any obstacle I may face. I will face my fear. I will stop running away from it and turn around. And when I'm face-to-face and eye-to-eye to it, I will grab the bull by its balls and make it scream surrender.

I surrender. I surrender to my great Destiny. Knowing deep in my heart I am destined for excellence. I am destined for greatness. NOT mediocrity, NOT conformity, NOT in arrogance but with the mantle of humility placed upon me. Because this is not about me. This is about humanity. I will persevere for the sake of humanity, who need men and women inflamed by passion that will ignite the hearts of the timid and fearful souls to push on and soar higher.

And I will do all this not in ten years from now when I'm free.

Not five years from now when I have money.

Not one year from now when I am ready.

Not one week from now when I know how.

Not even tomorrow for tomorrow is far from now.

I will live my dreams and act NOW!

- the dreamers manifesto

chocolate cake

chocolate cake..sounds good, looks good, feels good after eating, tastes good..

I wish life could be like that..we could all have our own piece of cake and eat it too..but of course, it is not meant to be that way..we have to scrimp, and save, and fight our way just to have one sinful bit of that delicious chocolate cake..

They say life is not a bed of roses..and I definitely agree..I've had more than enough my share of thorns to last me a lifetime..and yet, at night when insomnia kicks in, i find myself thinking, that even with life's struggles, I never thought of giving up and just ending it all..

and now, when i looked at all of the pictures saved in my computer and saw this slice of cake..I think I began to understand a little..

A bite of that sinfully delicious baked goodie that is called chocolate cake..